Environmental lighting, particularly outdoor lighting, is well known in commercial or public settings, such as parks and schools. Such lighting is also popular in residential applications, both to enhance the appearance and safety of the outdoor area and for security, to illuminate dark areas around a building or in a yard which may provide hiding places and unobserved entry points for intruders. 
Landscape and outdoor lighting systems include one or more lighting fixtures which are connected to either a 12 V transformer or a standard 120 VAC line. Some lighting fixtures enclose a halogen lamp or conventional bulb within a housing, and include a reflector assembly and a lens or window. These fixtures may be used for highlighting features such as trees or statues, i.e., up-lighting or for pathway or ground lighting. Other fixtures, used almost exclusively in down-lighting applications, may be open, with the lamp inserted into a socket within a shell or cowl that has its open end directed toward the ground. These fixtures tend to be used in larger quantities within a lighting system since they are typically less expensive than the closed fixtures and are capable of washing large expanses of open area with glare-free light, e.g., pathways, driveways, patios, ground cover plants and for perimeter lighting. 
Pathway lighting fixtures often have a hood or cowl shaped in the form of a bell, half-shell, cone, tulip, or other bell-shaped flower that surrounds the lamp except for the lower end of the cowl from which the light emanates. In addition to preventing escape of light in an upward direction, the inner surface of the cowl acts as a reflector to optimize the amount of light directed toward the desired target area. 
Outdoor light fixtures are prone to dirt build-up and/or corrosion which can diminish light output and accelerate deterioration and, ultimately, failure of the fixture. In open fixture designs, effects of dirt build-up and/or oxidation can be minimized by treating the inner surface of the cowl by coating it with a white paint or  powder coating to produce a reflective, corrosion-resistant finish. However, the lamp and socket remain exposed and, therefore, can deteriorate with time, interfering with the lamp and socket connection. In closed fixtures, the effects of dirt build-up and/or oxidation can be reduced by sealing the lamp enclosure to create a moisture-proof chamber. Any accumulation of material on the lens can be easily wiped away to restore full illumination capability. However, in closed fixture designs, one must disassemble the housing to access the lamp for replacement. Where metal-to-metal contact occurs in the enclosure seal, the built-up dirt and/or corrosion can act to “weld” the connection closed, making it very difficult to remove fasteners or separate sections of the housing. Efforts to break the connection can result in frustration and lead to the use of heavy pliers, wrenches or other tools to pry the sections apart, which can damage the housing finish. Further, after replacement of the lamp, unless extreme care is used, the built-up dirt and/or corrosion can impair the formation of a watertight seal, thus exposing the internal components to the outside elements, allowing the fixture to deteriorate with time. 
It would be desirable to provide a pathway light fixture that is attractive, resists breakdown in an outdoor environment, and easy to manufacture and service. The problems and deficiencies are clearly felt in the art and are solved by the present invention in the manner described below. 